The invention relates to an infrared temperature sensor with a sensor element, which generates an analog output signal, which is converted into a digital signal and processed.
Such infrared temperature sensors are used in radiation pyrometers for a non-contact temperature measurement. They are in particular suitable for measuring very high temperatures, which could only be determined with contact temperature measuring methods through very considerable effort and expenditure. Direct contact between the sensor and the very hot parts to be measured or with a possibly corrosive ambient atmosphere of the part to be measured are avoided.
Radiation pyrometers operate either with manually adjustable measurement parameters or with fixed measurement parameters, which lead to only a limited flexibility with respect to the use of such pyrometers.
Japanese patent application JP 61-30 728 (Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 10, No. 183; P-472, Jun. 26, 1986) describes an infrared temperature measuring device, in which an analog measurement signal is also converted into a digital signal. In said device a detector is suspended in a rotary manner, the speed of rotation being regulated as a function of the detector output signal.
Another radiation measurement device is known from JP-A-61-186824 (Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 11, No. 9; P-534, Jan. 10, 1987) in which, as a function of the magnitude of the measurement signal, an output signal is supplied to different amplifiers, which leads to an automatic setting of the measurement range.
The digital processing of measured quantities in radiation thermometers is known from Japanese patent application JP-A-63-3231 (Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 12, No. 199; Jun. 9, 1988, P-714). However, in said known device the correction and linearization of the measuring signal is carried out prior to conversion into a digital signal. The analog components used for this lead to temperature-dependent interfering influences on the measuring signal, which can have a negative influence on the measuring accuracy.
GB-A-2 13 877 describes a device enabling a determination of the temperature of gas turbine rotor blades. In this device the linearization and processing of the measuring signal take place after conversion into a digital signal. However, the field of use of this device is restricted, because it must be set to the measurement parameters on which the measurement are based.